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Keeping Tradition Alive: One Family Makes the Washington Semester Program a Family Tradition

By Ryan Jordan|March 21, 2017

Wolf Weimer knew that he wanted to study abroad during his time at Zeppelin University in Germany, where he majored in sociology, politics and economics. He knew that DC would be an ideal place to gain experience. In 2015, he began researching possible programs to attend. His father suggested he check and see whether the "terrific program" he had attended in the 80s still existed.

"It was 30 years ago, but surprise, surprise, the same Washington Semester Program still existed," said Weimer. "Promptly, I started the application process, after my dad had already talked about his awesome experiences in Washington for years."

Weimer shared that his father actually attended the program for the full academic year, staying in DC for two semesters.

"Although I really expected the slogan 'semester of a lifetime' to be pure exaggeration, I have to say that I totally agree with it," Weimer said as he discussed his father's description of the program. "It was a very unique experience in many ways. I not only grew academically and professionally, but I also became good friends with fellows around the globe."

Weimer attended the program in the fall of 2015 with a concentration in Global Economic and Business. He credits Professor Sosland for explaining the interconnectedness between economics and politics. During the program, Weimer visited important institutes, such as the Federal Reserve, Congress, the World Bank, the NYSE, the IMF, and multiple DC think tanks. He also served as the Marketing and Media Intern at 1776, a global startup incubator.

Weimer is now back at his home school in Germany, finishing his bachelor's thesis and interning at Deloitte Germany in Munich. With the help of Heather Broberg and other Washington Semester Program associates, a partnership between Zeppelin University and American University has been created to help more students like Weimer gain experience in DC. Now, Weimer and his father are working on persuading his brother to attend the program in the future.

"It's a unique experience that teaches you lessons for life. I'm sure he won't miss the chance…"